When Winchester Met Sullivan
by pompeypearly
Summary: Chloe has left everyone she knows and loves in Metropolis. It's time to find a new purpose in life, and meet new people. Either way, there is no avoiding heroes.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** When Winchester Met Sullivan (1/2)

**Fandom:** Smallville/Supernatural

**Genre:** Drama/Friendship

**Rating:** T

**Spoilers:** Season 9/10 Smallville, season 5 Supernatural.

**Summary:** Chloe has left everyone she knows and loves in Metropolis. It's time to find a new purpose in life, and meet new people. Either way, there is no avoiding heroes.

**Author Note:** All comments and reviews are appreciated. Unless you are a troll. Trolls give no constructive criticism, and just bitch that you are not writing the story they want.

This was going to be one mega multi-chaptered fic, but with so many elements it will work better as a series. This is the first story in that series.

Dedicated to robnzgrlwonder, because despite writing some great Chlean, it simply isn't getting as much attention it deserves.

It hadn't been easy leaving Metropolis behind. Chloe Sullivan had put on Fate's helmet to save the man she loved, only to be told that if she stayed with him and her friends, she would ultimately be their downfall.

No person could live with that on their conscience.

So, she died.

She faked her own death and left the bright city lights and her heart behind her. For the first time in her life she was without a plan. She had no cause, and no heroes to protect. She was on her own.

Chloe hated it.

For the past few weeks there had been nothing but her, the open road, and too much fast food. Her stomach grumbled at the sound of finding something edible, instead she lay back on the scratchy sheets of her current motel, and continued to read her newspaper.

Oliver was yet again in the headlines, but this time the words brought a tear to her eye. He had revealed that he was the Green Arrow to the world.

She knew he didn't believe she was dead for one minute, and that he was doing this for her. It was both romantic and tragic, because she knew that she could never go back. If she wanted him to survive then she had to be far, far away.

There was only comfort in the thought that he wouldn't be alone for long. Either Tess or Dinah would be sniffing around him in no time, hoping to be on his arm and in his bed.

As the linen irritated her skin, the thought of his comfortable silken sheets were torture right now.

Deciding that her stomach had been ignored for too long, she left the newspaper on the side and got up. The hunt for edible food was on. She just hoped to God that she found something that wasn't a week old or deep fried.

Locking her motel room behind her, she pulled her jacket close to her, trying to fight off the chill from the night air. She smiled as she imagined Clark's face if he were to discover her walking alone in such a place. It would always amaze her how a man the same age as her could scowl with disapproval like a parent.

She swiftly walked past the other rooms, heading in the directing for the tired, sorry looking car she had picked up with some of her emergency cash.

As she fumbled with the keys the sound of furniture crashing caused her to jump. Turning towards the closest motel room, she looked up in time to see a woman thrown into the window of a room, cracking the glass.

Without thinking, Chloe rushed to the room and kicked the door open, just in time to see the same woman being easily thrown into a wall by an angry looking man. It had taken little effort, as if he had done it with just the flick of his wrists.

Her presence in the room was immediately felt, and the stranger turned and snarled at her. His sheer physical advantage didn't concern her, nor the total disregard he had for the woman now slumped on the floor. It was the mouth full of razor sharp teeth that had her stomach twisting in knots.

Within the blink of an eye he rushed towards her. Using the self-defence moves she had learned over the years, she instinctively moved her body, using the man's momentum and sent him crashing into the television. His recovery was instantaneous, and he lunged at her.

She knew that if he got a grip on her, she would be in serious trouble. She threw a punch that landed on his jaw before kicking him in the chest, knocking him backwards.

This guy was strong, and she wasn't going to take any chances. She pulled the small gun hidden at the small of her back and aimed between his eyes.

"Back off or I'll shoot!" She commanded.

He shifted position, and Chloe recognised it well. He was preparing to rush her. After moving his foot a fraction she fired two rounds directly into his chest.

The force of the rounds threw her attacker off balance, but he didn't go down as she expected. Instead, he flashed those scary teeth in her direction before making his way towards her again.

Feeling the fear building within her stomach, she emptied the rest of her gun into him, despite the little effect it had.

Chloe threw the empty gun to the floor and hunted for the penknife she kept in her pocket. Her fingers fumbled as she pulled the cool, metal object from her jacket, and dropped it.

She quickly bent down to retrieve it, hoping that she would be quicker than him. She doubted it.

As she swept it up, she heard a grunt and a wet sound. Where her fingers were seconds before, was now the man's decapitated head, rolling to a stop as it hit her shoes.

The smell of blood filled her nostrils, adding to the churning sensation already in her stomach. Lifting her head away from the sight, her eyes settled on the other person in the room.

The woman she had last seen slumped by the wall was now standing behind the fallen body, holding a bloody machete in her hands.

She began wiping the blade on the clothes of her attacker, before giving him a kick in the back. "Thanks for the distraction."

Chloe let out a breath and leaned back on the wall. "Anytime."

"I'm Josie." She threw the large knife onto the bed, and stepped towards Chloe with her hand outstretched.

Chloe accepted the handshake and smiled.

"Chloe."

"Well, Chloe…I think after this, we need a beer. My treat?"

The woman's hair was a mess, and there were bruises and smears of blood across her cheeks, but she simply shrugged everything off and picked up her jacket from a broken chair.

It had been a long time since Chloe had had someone to really talk to. Josie's offer was appealing, and she couldn't think of any reason not to accept.

"I think a beer sounds great."

"Great!" Josie put her jacket on and walked up to Chloe, putting her arm around her shoulders and leading her from the room.

Josie locked the door behind them, leaving the body in the room, hidden from sight.

"So, tell me…how much do you know about vampires?"

Chloe smirked at the random conversation starter and the memory it brought to mind.

"I think you'd be surprised. My college roommate almost became one once. The bitch even bit me!"

ONE YEAR LATER.

Police stations were familiar territory for Sam and Dean Winchester. Luckily, this visit didn't involve handcuffs and charges of grave robbing.

They sat dressed in their cheap suits by the front desk, waiting for the Sheriff to make himself available to them.

Dean jostled his knee up and down with impatience, earning him a glare from his brother.

"This is ridiculous, man. We're the goddamn FBI!"

Sam smiled at the thought of the fake IDs in their pockets. With Dean's impatience he was surprised that the poor acting was holding up. He picked up one of the magazines from the nearby table and began to flick through it.

"They're probably just flexing their muscles. You know how local law enforcement can be with Federal agents."

"No freaking respect." Dean said, a little louder than necessary.

The cop manning the front desk gave him a disapproving look, to which Dean responded with a tight lipped smile in return.

His knee went back to jumping as they continued their wait. It was only two minutes until the Sheriff's door opened.

The brothers got to their feet, watching as man smiled while escorting out a beautiful, petite blonde. She was dressed professionally enough, but the skirt was provocative in a subtle way, accentuated by the high black heels she wore.

"I will return the file promptly at midday tomorrow. Thank you for your cooperation, Sheriff Seymour."

"It's been my pleasure, Agent Bly. Any assistance we can give you, don't hesitate to ask." The older man shook hands with her, still smiling.

"That's very generous of you. We hope to clear up this matter swiftly."

The Sheriff's eyes drifted towards the two men, who stood waiting for his attention. "Gentlemen, I'm surprised you're still here. Your colleague here has the file you requested."

Her twinkling green eyes turned towards them. There was a flicker of change in them, and Sam noticed. She was sizing them up, taking in their appearance.

"I'm sorry, I was unaware other agents had also been assigned to this case."

As if on cue, the brothers produced their fake IDs simultaneously. She studied them briefly before raising an eyebrow.

"I think there's been a mistake, Agents. This case belongs to me."

She turned to the Sheriff and offered him a small smile. "I'm sorry about this little mix up. Is it possible I can talk with my colleagues somewhere a little less public?"

"Sure, no problem. The interview room is free just down the hall. Take all the time you need."

After giving the older man one final smile she led Sam and Dean down the hall towards the interview room. Once inside the room, she sat on the edge of the table and crossed one leg over the other.

Sam closed the door, and turned to see Dean clearly checking out her legs. After subtly nudging his brother, he turned his attention to the impatient Agent Bly.

Her smile had been replaced with a scowl, and the friendly aura from the hall was replaced by a defensive glare.

"I think you should go home. There's no way I'm giving you this file and letting you take this case away from me." Her words were firm and clear. There would be little room for negotiation, but Sam had to try.

He pulled a small white card from his wallet and handed it to her.

"We don't want to step on any toes, but we have been assigned here. If you call our AD, I am sure he'll be able to clear this up."

She turned the card over and looked at the number. Instead of reaching for her cell phone as Sam had expected, she hopped down from the table and placed the card in her bag next to the file.

"Sorry guys, but I smell bullshit."

Without another word she left the room, leaving the men watching with surprised looks on their faces as she closed the door behind her.

The second the door clicked in place, Dean turned towards Sam. "She made us."

"You think?"

"We need that file, dude."

"I could try talking to her again."

"We could just take it from her." Dean suggested.

"If she recognised Bobby's number, she's probably not FBI. We could just check to see if there really is an Agent Bly."

"Or we could just snag a picture and ask Bobby if he recognises her?"

"Yeah."

Dean opened the door and they headed towards the exit.

Once she was out of the building, Chloe slipped the earpiece from her pocket and into her left ear. With the press of a small button it came to life.

"Jos, can you see me?"

"I'm here, baby girl. I'm in the diner across the street, drinking coffee that tastes like ass."

Chloe smiled and headed towards her car. Josie had a way of lightening her mood, even if it was through her crude descriptions and lack of manners.

She made sure she was clear of pedestrians as she began to speak.

"Two guys will trail me out of here. I thought they could FBI until they slipped me Bobby Singer's card. Get a few shots so we can get an ID."

There was a moment of silence. Chloe was confident that the older woman was watching her back, but she could still feel that itch between her shoulder blades. She was being watched, but she didn't have to like it.

"No need to take pictures, hun. I can see them now, and I know who they are. Congratulations – you've just met the Winchester brothers."

Chloe had heard the name before and racked her memory to remember how.

The name quickly fell into place. She and Josie had been having a late night chat with beer and chips, and the name dropped into conversation.

"You mean they're the hunters you claimed were both reckless and charming?" The disbelief was clear in her voice.

"You're telling me that neither one tried to charm that file outta your hands?"

"Nope."

There was an amused huff on the other end of the line. "You must be losing your touch."

Chloe smirked at the little jibe. "The Sheriff didn't seem to think so."

"Well, from what I'm seeing I may be wrong after all. You have an incoming Winchester. Just distract this one with a pretty smile, some fancy words and get into the car."

"How about just telling them we've got this one?"

"Honey, some hunters are all about their egos, and these boys have some to spare. I've never heard of them letting go of a case yet. Just shake him, and I'll keep tabs on them."

Chloe quickened her pace and made it to her car in little time. She unlocked the door and threw her purse and the file onto the passenger seat.

"Agent Bly!"

Leaving the earpiece in place, Chloe faked surprise at hearing her 'name' called out and turned towards the voice.

"Agent Hetfield, right?"

Chloe resisted the temptation to roll her eyes. She had already seen how well this guy lied, and she had to give it to him that he did it well. He had hardly any tells; it was impressive.

"I know that you think there's been a mix-up with our case assignments, but I really need that file. All I'm asking is that you call our AD."

So, they were holding on to the hope that she hadn't made them. A last ditch effort to gain access to gain the information she held before using less well-dressed means. Within the next six hours she could guarantee that her motel room would be broken into.

She held back a smile. They would have one hell of a surprise when they tried. Josie was a bitch if woken up early.

"The information in that file is important to both of us. I'll tell you what, give me twelve hours with it, and if your AD confirms everything, I'll happily hand it over. Is that a deal?"

"Great! Where are you staying? I can pick it up from you later."

Chloe smiled. 'Nice try', she thought.

"Tell you what, give me your number and I'll get it to you. If it's not my case then I'll have time on my hands."

Sam pulled a card from his jacket pocket and handed it to her with a smile.

She gave a small smile in return, trying hard not to show him the triumph she felt. "Thanks. I'll be in touch."

"I look forward to your call."

Chloe quickly got into the car, resisting the urge to lock her door, before starting the engine and pulling away.

"You must have played the 'Good Cop' part well back there." The sound of Josie's voice filled her ear as soon as Sam Winchester was out of sight.

"What makes you say that?"

"That was Sam, he's known for talking people round. He plays the sweet guy act well, right?"

"I've met more charming, but I'll agree that he has skill. Four years ago I would have fallen for it." Chloe smiled sadly, thinking of how much heartache her weakness for tall, handsome men had brought her over the years.

"Hey! Snap out of it Chloe. There's no time for any emo shit, we've got a case to work through."

Looking back in her rearview mirror she saw that the Winchesters were keeping a good distance behind her. She would have missed them if she wasn't looking for them. "You know I'm completely focused."

"I think you forget that I know you better than anyone."

"Okay, okay. I'll focus and stay on the job. I'll be back at the motel in less than fifteen." Pressing the switch at her ear, Chloe cut off the transmission.

Chloe knew that it was true. Sparing most of the names and secrets, Josie had become her confidante and trusted partner. She often called her on her shit, and it was one of the reasons they worked so well together.

After dealing with her version of weird for most of her life, hunting only broadened her horizons. Her experiences with meta-humans managed to come in handy, helping Josie distinguish between the supernatural from the extraordinary on occasion. The JLA had received several well researched, detailed tips over the last year.

At first she didn't trust herself to communicate directly to her old friends, and she was thankful for Josie's help in sending them. The third time they sent information, her partner was approached before she had even left the coffee house. From her description, it sounded like Bart Allen had been sent to find her, obviously given her whereabouts by Victor Stone.

Josie had described the young man's disappointment when he found no trace of Chloe, only a woman in her forties with a bad attitude. It was also one of the reasons that she couldn't keep all of her past hidden from her new partner.

Josie had wanted answers and she made sure she got them, including the condensed version of why she was on the road in the first place.

Just over a year ago, Chloe had been shown a glimpse of the future. If her friends were to fulfil their destinies, she had to leave them all behind and get out of Metropolis.

Including the man she loved.

His fate she had seen clearly. If she had stayed, he would have been a dead man. They would become too reliant on her and her Watchtower, and never reach their own potentials.

She wanted to save the world, and for that to happen she had to leave her friends and trust that they would become the heroes they were destined to be.

So she did.

After trading herself for Oliver, she made her escape from the hands of the Suicide Squad, and started her life on the road.

It was a short time after that that she met Josie. Seeing that vampire attack was the best thing that could have happened to her. Chloe knew herself, and to be content she needed a purpose and cause. Hunting with Josie fulfilled that need.

Chloe stashed the police file under her mattress the moment she entered her motel room. She then flicked off her heels, got onto the bed and waited for Josie to arrive.

The minutes passed, and it wasn't long until an hour had passed. Chloe was trying to suppress a feeling of panic when her phone began to ring.

"Open the bathroom window for a girl, would ya?" The call cut off as quickly as it connected, leaving her to stare at the phone.

Chloe's eyebrows raised but she decided not to ask questions, and simply went to the bathroom to do as her friend asked.

The small window had a simple lock on it, but was stiff with disuse as Chloe pushed it up to open. She watched as Josie began to awkwardly climb through head first, and held out steadying hands to prevent her from falling head first into the tub.

Once she was on her feet, Josie wiped her hands on her jeans before removing her jacket. "They're outside. I figure they'll wait for you to leave then break in for the papers."

"It's obvious they're not going to give up. We're going to have to come clean."

"You mean if they haven't already figured you out? We could, but I wouldn't mind messing with them first. We travelled halfway across the country for this case. They want it so bad? They can work for it."

Chloe rolled her eyes, only imagining what could be going on in that head of hers. "You get off on drama, have you noticed that?"

"In between burning bones and picking mud out of my ass, a girl's gotta find her kicks somehow."

Josie walked into the bedroom and Chloe followed behind. After pulling two beers from the in-room refrigerator, she threw one to Chloe before opening her own.

"I take it that your bathroom entrance means you have something in mind."

"Uh huh." Josie grinned widely before taking a long swig from her can.

Chloe recognised the look on her friend's face, and she immediately felt uncomfortable.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"Remember how you said you would never wear your summer outfit in public again?"

"Sunbathing only." Chloe reminded her with a smile, already suspecting what was going on in her partner's mind.

"Well, time to pull those shorts out and shake off the cobwebs. FBI agents need to stay healthy, and what better way than to go for a run?"

Chloe shook her head and contemplated downing the alcohol to numb herself to her friend's crazy plans.

"So you want a distraction. Why can't that be you?"

"First, they don't know me for shit. They need to see you leave. Second? No one wants to see this body in Daisy Dukes, no matter how hot I know I am. Scars are not sexy."

Chloe smirked. "I don't know, I think you could pull off the look."

"If I thought I could pull it off, I'd be happily earning my cougar membership." Josie picked up Chloe's clothes bag from the floor and put it into Chloe's free hand.

"Josie..."

"I've heard things about these boys, and I know what'll grab their attention. Now move that sweet little ass of yours and get changed."

She slapped Chloe on the ass before heading into the bedroom laughing.

Chloe had no response; she just shook her head and closed the bathroom door behind her friend.

Dean pulled the Impala up a good distance from the Motel and turned off the ignition. He picked up his binoculars from the back seat along with a take out bag. He started to eat the cold burger he pulled from the paper wrappings as he watched the rooms opposite.

Sam sipped on his coffee as he sent the picture of 'Agent Bly' to Bobby.

"Got movement, Sammy."

Dean zoomed the sight on the binoculars to focus on the opening motel door. Agent Bly emerged from the room, trying to pull her shorts further down the legs. He kinda hoped she'd stop trying; they clung to her ass perfectly, and the amount of leg she was showing was enough to make him forget about his meal.

"Looks like we got our break early."

His brother's voice shook him from his thoughts to see the woman begin to jog down the street. At least her turn in direction gave him a view to appreciate even more.

"This case finally got more interesting." He said with a smirk.

Sam looked up from his phone and followed his brother's line of sight. Rolling his eyes, he nudged Dean's arm.

"Focus, Dean."

"Oh, I am." Dean arched his eyebrows and smiled brightly before returning to his previous position, zooming onto the blonde's retreating form.

Sam finally snatched the equipment from Dean, before opening the car door and climbing out.

They quickly made their way over to the room they had just seen her vacate, and Dean quickly got to work on the lock, while Sam watched their backs. After hearing a satisfying click, Dean was able to turn the handle and open the door.

Immediately, they got to work. Sam started to look in the cupboards in the kitchenette, while Dean started to look through the chest of drawers.

"I've got nothing." Sam turned to see his brother grinning madly, a scrap of red lace hanging from his index finger.

"I'm thinking Agent Bly's got a naughty side..."

Sam snatched the panties from his brother's hands and stuffed them back in the drawer.

Dean was sure he was about to receive a lecture, but Sam was distracted by his phone beeping. Looking at his handset, he smirked.

"Agent Bly is as much of an FBI agent as we are. Bobby's ID'd her."

"She's a hunter?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, and by the look of it she doesn't hunt alone."

The sound of a gun's safety being removed drew their attention to the door.

Dean pulled his gun from the back of his jeans, band Sam had followed suit. They were ready to fire, but there was already a gun aimed in their direction.

It was 'Agent Bly', but Sam had mentioned a partner. He didn't have to wonder for long as the click of the bathroom door behind them killed the mystery.

"Find what you were looking for, boys?"

Dean chanced a look over his shoulder to see the woman standing waving a file at him, while pointing a gun at her brother.

The tension in the room was cut by the sound of Sam's phone ringing. The Winchesters, held still, aiming their guns at the armed women.

"Answer it."

Looking at the woman in the bathroom, Sam slowly pulled his phone from his coat pocket, but still keeping his gun aimed.

"I can't talk right now, Bobby." He answered the phone.

"Put it on speakerphone." the older woman ordered.

Sam pressed a couple of buttons and held the phone out in his hand.

"What in hell's name is going on there?" Came Bobby's voice across the line.

"Just sat in a motel, with two crazy bitches aiming guns at our heads." Dean replied.

"Hey, Singer! Did you tell these boys to break into my motel room and steal my shit?" Josie called out, clear enough to be heard on the handset.

"Is that..? Josie?"

Sam and Dean passed a look between them at the familiarity in Bobby's voice. He clearly knew this woman.

"The one and only."

"I was just calling these idjits to tell them to back off. I recognised the picture of your girl. I didn't know there were other hunters on this case."

"A picture of me? That was sneaky." The blonde smirked.

"It's our case, Bobby!" Dean called out.

"Not meaning to sound like a second grader, but we were here first." Chloe piped up.

"Can you at least lower your guns?" Sam asked.

"You vouching for these kids, Singer?"

"Yeah."

Josie tucked her gun into the back of her jeans, and her young partner dropped her gun arm. Sam followed suit, and Dean reluctantly followed.

Sam switched the phone off of speakerphone and spoke a farewell to Bobby. He hung up once the older man had given him a few firm words of wisdom.

"I think that's your cue to move along. It's been fun, but we've got this." Josie said, indicating to the door with a nod.

"Are you sure? Last I checked, four hunters are better than two." Sam offered.

"It couldn't hurt, right?" Chloe asked, looking at her friend.

The older woman seemed to think it over before shaking her head. "Nah. I know you're one for teamwork, but I think we're good on our own."

"We're not gonna drop this - we drove three days to get here." Dean said, sitting down on one of the beds.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Let's give them one chance. If they screw up, they're gone, and we can finish up on our own."

Dean raised his eyebrows at that. He didn't like being pushed around, especially by people he didn't know. Resisting the urge to push back would be the challenge. He wanted to finish this case, make sure these two chicks didn't create a larger mess to be cleaned up.

"One chance." Josie said.

Sam smiled his friendliest smile, as eager as a boy scout. "Great! So what do you guys have so far?"

Josie sighed and rolled her eyes,"Chloe?"

Dean turned to the little blonde, glad to finally have a genuine name for 'Agent Bly'.

"Fine, I'll get my notes. But I'm changing first!"

Dean watched as she walked to the dresser and pulled out a pair of worn jeans, before heading to the bathroom. He tried not to watch her curvy backside as she moved, instead he tried to listen to her silent mutterings about not being her cousin, and not needing stupid outfits for cases.

He'd met female hunters before. Good, strong women who were focused on the job at hand. Their lives revolved around the hunt.

When Dean looked at Chloe, he could see that she was something different. There was strength there, but something softer was underneath; and he wasn't talking about the lovely, creamy flesh on display. He could tell just by looking at her that she hadn't been raised to this life, not like Jo had.

The bare arms and legs that he had seen were mainly pale and smooth. Very few scars marred that perfect skin. He could only assume that the rest of her body was the same.

Her story wasn't going to be like his family's; not even like Josie's he'd bet. Dean wanted to find out what motivated the snarky little blonde, even if it was to give himself peace of mind that she wouldn't get them all killed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** When Winchester Met Sullivan (2/2)

**Fandom:** Smallville/Supernatural

**Genre:** Drama/Friendship

**Spoilers:** Season 9/10 Smallville, season 5 Supernatural

**Author Note:** All comments and reviews are appreciated. This was going to be one mega multi-chaptered fic, but with so many elements it will work better as a series. This is the first story in that series.

Dedicated to robnzgrlwonder, because despite writing some great Chlean, it simply isn't getting the attention it deserves.

THE NEXT DAY

The night hadn't gone exactly to plan. The four hunters had expected the murderous ghost to appear while they dug for bones, but they hadn't expected his girlfriend to show up at the graveyard and start shooting.

On one hand, Chloe found it comforting that some loves could last through anything, including death. On the other, she found it just plain creepy.

Elizabeth Wood had known all about her boyfriend Ray's violent tendencies in life. He had been arrested for the murder of an old work friend, and her alibi and conveniently missing evidence had kept him from going to trial.

Ray had died when his victim's brother had sought vengeance. Only Elizabeth had mourned.

Now, five years after his death, all of those associated with his temporary incarceration and eventual death were dying in mysterious circumstances.

Sam and Josie attempted several times to burn his bones, but even as his corpse eventually went up in flames, he had continued to throw them around the graveyard like rag dolls.

Elizabeth's appearance had been the final piece of the puzzle for Chloe. While the crazed woman was busy shooting at Dean, Chloe charged her from behind and tackled her to the floor.

She had seen a charm bag hanging around Elizabeth's neck. Dean helped to pin the crazed, thrashing woman to the ground as Chloe snapped the thin leather cord. She then got to her feet and ran to the burning grave before hurling the small bag into the fire.

Elizabeth had screamed when she saw her lover's spirit engulfed in flames. She even managed to pull herself from Dean's grip, and ran towards the open grave.

Chloe had watched in horror as the woman threw herself into the fire, hoping in a vain attempt to save the man she loved.

The smell of burned flesh still lingered in her nostrils as they made their way back to the motel. It was enough for her to seriously consider becoming a vegetarian.

Sam helped support Josie as the four hunters walked into the girls' motel room. She had landed awkwardly on a gravestone, and couldn't weight bear on her left foot.

Chloe watched the tall man ease her friend down onto a bed, before heading to the bathroom to look for a first aid kit.

Knowing how hard the night had been, and Josie's post hunt rituals, Chloe headed straight to their cool box and grabbed a pack of beers. She handed the first to Josie, and then one to each of the brothers.

As the others silently opened their drinks, she removed her jacket, and admired the large, purple bruise blossoming across her arm and shoulder. She really hated being hurled into concrete.

"That arm's going to be a bitch to move tomorrow." Came a gruff voice from the door.

Dean had obviously been digging through their cool box, as he handed her one of the ice packs she kept in there for after a hunt.

"A bit of ice and a little exercise, and I'll be fine." She gave him a small smile as she accepted the ice.

Chloe gingerly laid the pack over her shoulder, wincing at the intense cold, then took a seat in the kitchenette. She watched as Sam attempted to strap Josie's ankle, and fought the urge to laugh.

There was a reason she hadn't volunteered to help her partner. Josie had never been the best patient, and she had first hand experience of how volatile it could be.

Sam, it seemed, was being let off lightly - despite being called a few obscenities, he only received the odd kick to his gut.

"That the only first aid kit you've got?"

Chloe looked across to Dean, who had sat next to her and removed his own jacket and overshirt. Blood was slowly trickling from his arm - to Chloe it looked like a graze from a bullet.

"That's Josie's. I think you need mine." Setting down her ice pack, Chloe rushed over to her bed and pulled out a large backpack from beneath it.

Dean's eyebrows raised at the sight of the bag. "That's your first aid kit? What, did you steal it from a paramedic?"

Chloe smirked, "An old friend of mine is a doctor. He gave this to me as a christmas gift two years ago."

"Useful."

Chloe pulled out supplies and laid them out on the table next to them, ""Yeah. He's always been practical."

"Still, it's gotta be handy having a doc on call. He willing to treat other hunters?"

Her shoulders sagged. She could see where he'd get the impression that she had access to medical assistance. A discreet medic was hard to come by, so it was a shame to disappoint him.

"Uh...no. I'm not in contact with him anymore. But, he did give me a crash course in advanced first aid.; which, lucky for you, means that I can stitch that wound better than you can."

It hurt to think of Emil, and just why he had taught her some basic skills. She needed to distract herself from thinking about old friends.

"You're going to have to take your t-shirt off too."

Dean pulled off the garment without question. It surprised her that there had been no argument - there normally was whenever she reached for a suture needle.

He continued to drink his beer with his good hand as she began to clean the wound. From first look, it didn't seem too bad. It wouldn't take more than ten stitches to close the laceration.

Chloe tried to focus on opening her sterile kit and keeping it that way, but it was hard not to admire how Dean looked.

His arms weren't as gym defined as Oliver's had been, but they were still strong and muscular. The kind that came with fighting for your life on a regular basis. Years on the job had given Dean this body, not a private gym and protein shakes.

She caught herself staring.

It had been so long since she had been around an attractive man, all this warm flesh was obviously getting to her. Shaking her head to shake away the thoughts, she refocused on the task at hand.

With the background noise of Josie swearing at Sam, she slipped on her sterile gloves.

"So, how long have you been hunting?" Dean asked as she began to inject the area with local anaesthetic.

"Long enough that you shouldn't doubt my skill in leaving you scar free here." she said as she prepared to make the first stitch.

"Nicely avoided." Dean smirked and raised the can to his lips. "Do you at least have a last name.?"

"No. Just Chloe."

Dean looked at his arm while she worked on it. "You're hiding from someone?"

The corner of her mouth raised in a half smile as she continued the graceful dance of the needle, thread and tweezers. "Aren't we all?"

"Touche."

"Just be glad I'm not giving you twenty questions, Winchester."

The idea was tempting. She was pretty sure it would be amusing to see how fast she could have him turning in circles with her words. He wasn't dumb, by any means, but she was rusty. As much as she loved Josie, it had been a long time since she'd had a taxing conversation. It almost made her miss the verbal judo she had with Lex Luthor.

"There's not much to know."

"Now, you see, that's where I know you're lying. Josie doesn't like to hang around other hunters. Bobby is the only exception to the rule, so the fact that she knows enough about you to invite you on a hunt speaks volumes."

"It was only because you asked."

"And normally my asking gets me nowhere. She's a gossip, so I won't hear from her. That leaves me you to tell me your story."

"All hunters have their stories, mine's no different."

"Touche." She smirked as she tied off the last stitch.

A soft knocking woke Dean from his sleep. Looking across the room, he saw that Sam's bed was empty and already made. Chances were that his baby brother had forgotten his key, or had so much food in his hands he couldn't open the door.

Either way, Dean's stomach knew that he was awake, and it demanded sustenance.

"Please God, don't let it be fruit."

A big, fat greasy bacon sandwich with coffee sounded good right about now.

He opened the door, and squinted his eyes at the bright light. Instead of being greeted with his brother's pouting face, a small blonde stood in front of him, offering a paper bag and a flask of coffee.

"Peace offering."

"Were we at war?"

"No, but we did act like assholes the other day. I wanted to make it up to you before we head back out today." Chloe pushed the coffee at him, and grabbed hold of it, "It's my personal stash. I might live on the road, but there are a few home comforts I refuse to give up. Quality coffee being one of them."

"Come in." Dean pulled the door open further and let her in.

He couldn't work her out. He'd spent the better part of last night trying to figure her place in a hunter's world, but he was still coming up with squat.

And now here she was, turning up with freshly filtered coffee, where most hunters would be happy to just down anything with caffeine.

"I know Josie played it cool, but I'm glad that we had your help there last night. I'm not sure we could have handled the gruesome twosome on our own."

Dean watched as she took a seat at the table and made herself comfortable. He took a seat next to her and opened the bag she left on the table.

"Where's Sam?" She asked.

Dean shrugged, pulling out a pastry "Getting food?"

"Well, I'm sure you can give this to him for me." She pulled out a small piece of paper and slid it along the table.

"What's that?" Dean asked around a mouthful of food.

"My number."

He raised his eyebrows at that. Sure, the blondie and her brother seemed to have had a few geek moments yesterday, but he didn't pick up any sexual vibes from either of them. To be honest, he was sure she'd been checking him out while he stitched up his arm.

"Really?"

"He mentioned that you've had trouble with the law in the past, and I can help with that. I also know how to obtain IDs that will stand up to scrutiny."

Dean smiled and relaxed back in the chair.

"That makes sense."

He felt a change in atmosphere in the room, and looked up mid-bite to see a pair of bright green eyes boring into him.

"Wow. I think I'm kind of offended by that."

Dean swallowed his food, all the while wondering if he would be wearing her coffee in the near future. "Don't get your panties in a twist."

She settled back into her chair and took a sip of her coffee, waiting for an explanation.

"I just...don't think Sam's your type."

"Tall, handsome, brooding and heroic? Yeah, what's a girl to like." She said sarcastically.

"Hey, I'm just saying-"

"Don't worry, you can take your foot out of your mouth any time now."

"I don't think he's your type."

Chloe smirked over the top of her cup, "For a man who's known me for fewer than forty-eight hours, you have amazing insight."

Conceding that they were actually talking about this, he put down his food. "You're not like most other hunters I've met."

"Well, that's probably true. I'd like to think of that as a positive."

"I can't figure you out, and I don't like it."

"I'm not some puzzle to be solved. Hell, after today, you'll probably never see me again, so your brain can rest easy. I just wanted Sam to know that if you ran into trouble, I could create some computer miracles for you. As great as Bobby is, there are somethings a phone call can't fix."

"So you really just came here to give us your number and breakfast?"

"Yeah; and you've managed to make it incredibly awkward." She got to her feet and made her way to the door. "Just for the record? Once upon a time, your brother would have been just the kind of guy I would have fallen for."

"And now?"

"Relationships aren't meant for people like me; even brief ones." She said with a sad smile, and closed the door gently behind her.

Dean looked at the closed door for a few seconds before returning to his breakfast. All that he needed was some cheesy background music, and he'd swear he was in a soap opera.

He reached for the pastry meant for Sam, and dug in. As he licked the last drops of sugar from his fingers, the door opened.

"Hey, was that Chloe I saw leaving?"

"Yeah. She left you her number; but don't get too excited. She said she doesn't sleep with giants."

Sam groaned and shook his head. "Please tell me you were at least nice to her."

Dean shrugged his shoulders, "Dude, I'm always nice."

Sam sat himself down in the chair Chloe had vacated not long ago, and pulled a bottle of orange juice from his bag. "Just tell me you didn't scare her off, it might be useful knowing her in the future."

"Yeah, she's some whizz with IDs, right?"

"Not just IDs. Did you know that she and Josie have only had to switch credit cards once in the last year?"

Dean's eyebrows lifted in surprise. Anything that could relieve the burden of frequent credit card scams would take away one worry. "How?"

"She wouldn't tell me, but she can do it. Josie told me that before she started hunting, Chloe was some kind of computer genius."

"I think you should ditch the number."

"Why?"

"I don't trust her."

"Friends are running thin on the ground. Why's she got you so spooked?"

"I can't get a read on her."

"You can't get a read on her?" Sam snorted, before crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. "This I gotta hear."

"I know women, okay? But her? Something's not right."

"You mean she didn't respond to your flirting?"

Dean wanted to wipe that smug look from his brother's face.

"She's hiding something. I bet that not even Josie knows everything about her."

Sam just shrugged. "Maybe; but aren't we all entitled to a few secrets? She didn't get us killed last night, so until proven otherwise, she's okay in my book."

Sam picked up the small piece of paper from the table, and began putting the numbers into his phone.

"Besides, Bobby trusts both her and Josie. His opinion's gotta count for something, right?"

"Yeah." Dean grudgingly admitted.

What was it about this small blonde that made him give her so much thought? Dean mentally shrugged and shook it off. Chances of meeting her again were slim to none, and he and his brother had a job to do.


End file.
